Custodian to oversee charter school

Warring factions fighting for control of the Pocono Mountain Charter School agreed to a truce Friday in Monroe County Court.

HOWARD FRANK

Warring factions fighting for control of the Pocono Mountain Charter School agreed to a truce Friday in Monroe County Court.

Judge Art Zulick appointed Stroudsburg attorney Alan Young to serve as custodian for the nonprofit corporation that runs the school. The trustees won't be removed, but will be stripped of their authority while management of the school is in Young's hands.

Young will oversee the affairs of the school and serve for as long as it takes to reconstitute the school's board of trustees, according to the judge's order.

Zulick previously reversed the appointment of two board members and restored two who were ousted in the winter by other board votes.

"First, we have to stabilize the patient," Young said.

He asked the school's operations manager, Razie Howie, for a full accounting of the school's property, and its assets.

Both factions agreed to the custodial powers in Zulick's order. The two groups said they believed it will take about 60 days before the board could be reconstituted. But Zulick wouldn't put a time limit on it.

"It's a matter of having a board properly elected. I'm not going to trim attorney Young's wings before he walks in here. I'm not going to put any restrictions on him," the judge said.

Once a board is properly re-formed under Young's oversight and according to the charter school's bylaws, the board will re-take control of the school.

Under Zulick's order, Young was given custody of all properties of the Pocono Mountain Charter School, control of all bank accounts and serve as or appoint a signatory on those accounts.

He was also given the authority to hire the services of a forensic accountant or any other professionals to manage the affairs of the school and audit its books and records. The school's payroll account hadn't been reconciled between 2006 and 2012, according to board of trustees' meeting minutes in July 2012.

Young was also given the authority to hire or fire any employees or agents of the school.

Young is required to make detailed monthly written reports of his findings and recommendations to the court. He was authorized to bill no more than $200 an hour for his services, a discounted rate that he referred to as a public service.

The Pocono Mountain School District funds the charter school with taxpayer money, and the district and the charter school have been fighting for years over whether the charter school should be allowed to operate.